Tag Archives: saving money

We know, it’s something people don’t normally talk about in social circles. It’s a topic left for the privacy of our own homes. But we’re breaking the mould and asking all the toilet questions you may have pondered. Mark DeVisser from The Plummer Is Here stops by to answer our questions and walk us through the options when buying a new toilet. The subject matter makes us uncomfortable, but the information is worth the discomfort!

Listen here:

Show notes for Episode 014:

Kitchens are the most commonly redone room in a house. They are also some of the most costly. And there are some things you can do to change the look, without spending a ton of money. We've all heard of painting the cabinets and replacing the hardware. But there is one more project that is often overlooked, but dramatically changes the look of your kitchen.

Painting a tile backsplash can really change the look and feel of your kitchen. It can make a dated kitchen feel current. And, with a little creativity, you can make your backsplash a one-of-a-kind. Check out our Backsplash Ideas Pinterest board to see what inspired us!

Figuring out the perfect lighting for your home can be a challenge. But it can be more difficult as we get older. Our eyes go through drastic changes as we age and most people will require more and different types of light.

Renee Huff from The Lighting Corner in Grandville stops by to discuss how eyes change as we age and some things that we can implement to help us, or our loved ones, see better as we gracefully age.

Outdoor living spaces are the fastest growing segment of home improvement. Everyone is trying create that backyard spaces that every neighbor wants. And all may be perfect until it comes to the furniture.

There are three general issues that come up when it comes to patio furniture:

It looks terrible from sitting in the weather.

It's the wrong style. You bought log furniture, but now hate it!

It's an eclectic collection of yard sale finds.

When people find themselves in one of the above situations they generally do one of two things: they either live with it, or they toss it (for the eclectic collector to find!) and buy new. But there is a third option that we like a lot better! It will save you money over replacing and you can make it something the neighbors will envy! You can find amazing ideas on our Outdoor Furniture Pinterest board.

Yes, we have finally come to Dan's favorite segment of this episode! He has been dying to have all of his hard-hitting toilet questions answered by an expert plumber. And lucky for us, The Plumber Is Here!

Mark DeVisser from The Plumber Is Here! stops by to answer all Dan's questions and add a few laughs.

Mark DeVisser is a Master Plumber and Owner of Great Lakes Plumbing Services, LLC (or, as it is more commonly known, The Plumber Is Here!). The plumber Is Here can take care of all your plumbing needs including water heaters, faucets, tubs and showers, water and sewer hookups, drain cleaning and so much more! They service residential, commercial and new construction in all areas around Saugatuck, Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven, Grandville, Jenison, Hudsonville, and beyond.

In today’s episode, we sit down with Sara Vander Molen from UBU Home Furnishings in the Rivertown Crossings Mall. Sara applies the top 3 New Year’s Resolutions to your home. And Dan makes a terrible, terrible mistake in the very beginning and digs a hole so deep there’s not a ladder big enough for him to crawl out!

Episode Outline

Dan’s Terrible, Terrible Mistake (0:27)

FIRST RESOLUTION: Lose Weight, Get Healthier (2:06)

SECOND RESOLUTION: Get Organized (4:09)

THIRD RESOLUTION: Save Money by Avoiding Mistakes! (6:21)

Get Help from Experts! (7:13)

Measure, Measure, Measure! (8:43)

Buy Quality Products (11:01)

BUY QUALITY PAINT b (Dan’s Brilliant Paint Tie-In) (12:50)

Contact Info

We were so grateful to Sara Vander Molen from UBU Home Furnishings in the Rivertown Crossings Mall for taking time out of her day to be with us in the studio and share her expertise. Remember, as Sara mentioned, UBU Home Furnishings offers color consulting and design help. It’s free in-store and is available for a nominal hourly fee for in-home consultations.

Spring has finally (hopefully) sprung and with it, so has the exterior painting season. Homeowners all throughout West Michigan are already starting to take a look around their properties, trying to decide what jobs need to be tackled and which ones can wait until next year.

Well, with the economic situation being what it is, chances are most of us who are looking to do some exterior painting are also looking for ways to cut back on the expense. And typically, when it comes to painting, the most obvious place to cut expenses is by buying a cheaper paint. After all, if you buy 3 gallons of paint at RepcoLite for $40 a gallon, but can buy some paint at the hardware store down the street for $20 a gallon, you’ll save at least $60 on the project, right?

Not exactly. In fact, chances are, you won’t be saving any money at all and, in fact, will likely be spending more in the long run.

According to a Press Release by the Paint Quality Institute, field tests show that “while ordinary exterior paint lasts about 4 years, top quality 100% acrylic latex paint can last 10 years or more when applied to a properly prepared surface”. What this means, is that while the initial cost of the paint is HIGHER, the overall cost of the paint will be much, much less.

For example, taking our situation where a homeowner purchases 3 gallons of ORDINARY paint to do some work on their home, we can see that the cost is $60. Add another $15 or so in for supplies and then, don’t forget to take into account your time. With all of that, you’ve got at least $75 in materials and some time invested. Now, according to the field tests conducting by the Paint Quality Institute, that ORDINARY paint is likely to give you 4 years of quality service. So, doing the math, the cost breaks down to about $18.95 a year.

Now, if you’d do that same job with QUALITY 100% ACRYLIC paint like RepcoLite’s Endura (formerly UltraShield), you’ll pay $37 per gallon. With 3 gallons needed, you’ll spend $111 on paint. Add to that the $15 in supplies and your time and you’ll have a total cost of about $126.

At first glance, that looks like a $50 savings by going to the cheaper paint. However, if the Endura lasts–as the field tests show it will–at least 10 years before it needs to be redone, you find that the average cost per year breaks down to about $12.60, which actually makes it cheaper in the long run than buying the cheaper paint.

Add to that savings the fact that your time isn’t cheap and that with the ORDINARY paint, you’ll have to do the project at least twice before you’ve reached that 10 year point that QUALITY paint will get you.

The savings get even greater if you decide to hire a contractor to do the work because labor costs don’t vary based on the paint. If you have your painter use a cheap paint, it’s not going to affect your LABOR costs. If he uses a QUALITY paint, your LABOR costs will not change. The only thing that changes is your PAINT costs. And if that paint lasts you 2 1/2 times as long as an ORDINARY paint, you’re going to be money ahead in the long run.

In the end, remember that saving money is about looking at the big picture. Saving money today, only to spend more money down the road doesn’t really do you any good. You’re net result is still a loss. So don’t let yourself get suckered by a low sticker price. Saving money is about more than just saving a few bucks today. Buy with the big picture in mind and you’ll be congratulating yourself for your smart decision 4 years from now!

Remodeling projects can get expensive. Quickly. Start tearing out flooring and knocking down walls and before you know it, you’ll find that a little re-do project has grown into an expensive, all-encompassing home remodel.Continue reading→